In this study, a rat carotid balloon injury-animal model was used to elucidate the temporal relation of hypertrophy in the progression of cardiac damage and the role of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I survival pathway on course of the cardiac damage. Rats were subjected to carotid balloon-injury and examined at different time points. We further studied the heart-weight/body-weight-ratio, histology and protein expression to understand the pathological events associated with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) induced damages. Protein expression analysis showed increased levels of IGF-I signaling pathway and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway after 2 h and after 2 d of carotid balloon injury. On the other hand, apoptosis signaling pathways were enhanced after 14 d of carotid balloon injury. According to the results, rat carotid balloon injury significantly induced IGF-I survival signaling and compensated hypertrophy pathway during the initial period of injury however after 14 d the proteins involved in apoptotic cell death were elevated and the proteins of the survival pathway and compensatory hypertrophy were significantly reduced.
